Convertible hassock and table



Nov. 17, 1953 P. HoAR 2,659,414

CONVERTIBLE HAssocx AND TABLE Filed Nov. 25, 1949 Patented Nov. 17,r 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE My present invention relates to a multi-user article of furniture that is particularly adapted for use in the living rooms of small homes and apartments where limited space imposes restrictions on the quantity of furniture with which such rooms may be furnished and on the arrangement of such furniture.

The objectives of my invention will be readily apparent from its general structural features. I

provide :an article of furniture which consists of a hollow base open at its upper end and having that end. A centrally located sleeve depends from that iloor and serves to receive a support depending from the cover that seats on the upper end of the base and means are provided to enable the seated cover to be raised relative to the base. In practice, the cover includes a cushion section removable from the section carrying the depending sleeve entering support.

Such an article of furniture, when its cover is supported by the upper end of its base, serves as a hassock that aiords an extra seat when needed while requiring a minimum of space and interfering, to a minimum extent, with the arrangement of the principal articles of furniture. With the cover raised, my article functions as a stand or end. table with the floor in the base exposed so that cards or smoking supplies, for example, stored in the base are conveniently accessible. In addition, the cover is preferably formed so that its removable cushion section may be inverted and used as a tray.

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown n illustrative embodiment of a multi-use article of furniture in accordance with my invention from which these and other of its novel features and advantages will be readily apparent.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view, in elevation, of an article of furniture in accordance with my invention, usable as a hassock.

Fig. 2 is a partly sectioned side view of the article of furniture shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view, in section, and on an enlarged scale, of the cover and its support, and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary transverse section showing the attachment of one of the springs to the base.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in the drawings, I have shown a hollow base 5 of hexagonal cross sectional shape having its lower end closed as at i5 and a floor 'l is spaced a substantial distance below its upper end. The floor a floor spaced below CFI removed, it may used as a tray.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in the drawings, the support In is of such length that when the cover 9 is supported by the upper edge of the base 5, its' lower end is spaced above the bottom end thereof. The lower end of the base 5 adjacent the Iioor 1 thereby to yieldably urge the cover 9 into its fully raised position in which the stop I1 engages the lower end of the sleeve 8.

In practice, I provide means to maintain the cover 9 seated against the upper end of the base 5 and to lock it in any one of a plurality of predetermined raised positions. To accomplish this, I provide the support I 0 with a plurality of spaced and vertically aligned recesses I9 any one of which may be brought into registry with the hole 20 in the sleeve 8 through which extends one end of a locking pin 2| slidably supported as rotation thereby ensuring registry of the recesses I9 with the locking pin 2l, I preferably provide means to enable the cover 9 to be rotated relative thereto. As shown in Fig. 3, this may be accomplished by providing the bottom section Il of the cover 9 with a sleeve 25 with its bellshaped upper end locked thereto as by the ring 26 thereby to provide a retaining chamber for the transverse keeper 21 on the upper end of the support t0.

From thev foregoing, 'it will be apparent that articles of furniture in accordance with my invention are simple and rugged in construction, adapted to a wide range of attractive designs, and serve a plurality of purposes vthereby reducing to a minimum the problem vof furnishing small living rooms.

What I therefore claim-and fdesire'to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An article of furniture comprising a hollow base open at its upper end and including afloor supported by said base below the open end thereof, a centrally located sleeveattached to vsaid floor and including a `portion depending therefrom, a cover for Asaid base dimensioned yto be supported by the rim of said lbase andincluding a depending support slidably guided uhy said sleeve and of such length that its lower end Vis adjacent the bottom of ,said base when said cover is supported by the rim thereof, a pair of springs anchored .to said base below but adiacent said oor and connected to said lowersupport end thereby to raise said cover above said base rim and `means-carried by said floor and said Vsupport to lock said support *to` said sleeve in any 7 one of a plurality of raised positions.

2. The article of claim 1 in which the support includes a sleeve engaging stop at its lower end to limit upward movement of .the support .relative `to the base and the springs vare connected -to Ythe stop.

3. An .article of furniture comprising a-hollow base open at its upper end and including a door .supported by said base below the open end thereof, a centrally located sleeve attached to said floor andincluding a portion depending therefrom, a cover forsaid base .including a` depending support slidably guided by said sleeve to enable said cover to be raised relative to said base, said support vincluding a .sleeve engaging .stop at its lower end to limit the extent to which it may be raised relative to said base, a pair of cover raising springs, each of said springs being connected at one end to said stop and at its other end to said base above the lower end of said sleeve but below said floor, and means to lock said support to said base in any one of a plurality of raised positions.

4. An article of furniture comprising a hollow base open at its upper end, a oor supported by said base, a centrally located sleeve attached to said floor and including a portion depending therefrom and having a radial opening, a cover vfor said base including a depending tubular support slidably guided by said sleeve and having a plurality o! vertically spaced recesses which reg- -ister with said opening as the cover is raised and lowered, a ,locking pin slidably carried by said 'iloor and including an extremity to enter one of -said support recesses through said sleeve opening thereby to lock said support to said sleeve, Vand'asecond'extrrmity exposed through the side oil-said base, and a spring in control of said locking pin yieldably holding its first named extremity in. locking position.

'5'. The article of claim 4 and a rotatable connection between 'the cover and the upper end of its support.

6. An article of furniture comprising a hollow base open at its upper end and including a iloor supported by said base below the open end thereof, a centrally located sleeve attached to said oor and including va portion depending therefrom, and a cover for said base including a depending support connected to `said sleeve to enable said cover to be raised.

7. An article of furniture comprising a hollow .base open at its top and including a floor spaced between its top and bottom, a cover for said base including a depending support, and a sleeve attached to said floor and depending therefrom, .said support being slidably connected to said sleeve to enable said cover to be raised and lowered relative to said base.

PAUL HOAR.

References Cited in the flle of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

